Written question asked by Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party) on Thursday, 2 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 March 2006. It was answered by Ian Pearson (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 March 2006 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) levels and (b) origin of (i) financial and (ii) logistical support provided to non-governmental armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Recent events indicate that militia groups operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo remain well-supplied. The most recent report by the United Nations Group of Experts on the UN arms embargo indicated that illegal exploitation of natural resources and cross-border trade contribute significantly to the funding of these armed groups.The Government strongly support the UN and EU arms embargoes. In November 2005, the UN Sanctions Committee agreed a list of individuals and organisations responsible for arms embargo violations as provided for in UN Security Council Resolution 1596. These violators are now targeted with asset freezes and travel bans. We continue to work with Security Council partners to improve implementation of the arms embargo.

Secondary information